Alec Baldwin was included in the Boulder International Movie Festival in Colorado this March as a special guest programer. This prompted negative responses on Twitter.
This news comes just months after Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography, was accidentally shot to death by the actor on the set for “Rust” in New Mexico.
“Why? What does it mean for the city and the festival? What is his salary? “Odd decision, imo,” one commentator said after the Boulder festival tweetthe latest.
Another said, “Is it a joke?” You can’t make it funny, right? Why is Colorado involved in such bad things? “I hope that pray isn’t real.”
“Your film festival selected someone who has shot two people and is under active criminal investigation to become Special Guest Programmer?” A third person was pointed out.
Others called it “disapointing”, “terrible”, “shameful” or “embarrassing.”
After receiving many negative comments, the festival received very few positive comments.
“Two words: Halyna Houtchins,” one commentator simply said.
Baldwin and Hutchins were on set rehearsing for their Western film. Hutchins was also injured by the bullet, as well as director Joel Souza.
Baldwin attended the Boulder festival last year and was presented with an award for excellence as an actor.
“He’s been there before and he has been a friend of the festival, so it’s really exciting,” Kathy Beeck, festival director, told The Daily Camera newspaper from Boulder on Friday.
Baldwin is a guest programmer and has chosen three films — Dr. Strangelove, How I Stopped Worrying, and Learned To Love the Bomb; “Dr. Strangelove” and “The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg & the Pentagon Papers” – which he will discuss with the audience.
Baldwin stated that the gun was meant to be empty while Hutchins was showing it how she wanted it to aim. He also claimed that he didn’t pull the trigger.
He also denied that the mishap was his.
Baldwin stated, “Someone is responsible” Baldwin said, “It’s not my fault.”